m yp¥'* : .... 4%V .s ^MIP" 5^ -ItS •0 ^ANGLER/ OFFICIAL STATE PUBLICATION PUBLISHED MONTHLY EDWARD MARTIN Governor by the PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF FISH COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSIONERS BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS Publication Office: The Telegraph Frew, Cameron and Kellcer Streets, Harrisburg, Pa. Executive and Editorial Offices: Commonwealth of Penn­ sylvania, Pennsylvania Board of Fish Commissioners, Har­ risburg, Pa. CHARLES A. FRENCH 10 cents a copy—50 cents a year Commissioner of Fisheries MEMBERS OF BOARD CHARLES A. FRENCH, Chairman EDITED BY— Ellwood City J. ALLEN BARRETT, Lecturer JOHN L. NEIGER Pennsylvania Fish Commission Scranton South Office Building, Harrisburg JOSEPH M. CRITCHFIELD Confluence CLIFFORD J. WELSH NOTE Erie Subscriptions to the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER should J. FRED McKEAN be addressed to the Editor. Submit fee either by check New Kensington or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Penn­ sylvania. Stamps not acceptable. Individuals sending cash MILTON L. PEEK do so ai their own risk. Radnor CHARLES A. MENSCH Bellefonte PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER welcomes contribution, and photos of catches from its readers. Proper credit will be EDGAR W. NICHOLSON given to contributors. Philadelphia H. R. STACKHOUSE Secretary to Board All contributions returned if accompanied by first class postage. Entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office of C. R. BULLER Harrisburg, Pa., under act of March 3, 1873. Chief Fish Culturist, Bellefonte IMPORTANT—The Editor should be notified immediately of change in subscriber's address. Please give old ar.d new addresses. Permission to reprint will be granted provided proper credit notice is given. VOL. 9, No. 3 \ANGLER7 March, 7 945 Cover In The Laboratory of Americanism Photo by Martin J. Meyers, Williams Grove, Pa. EDITORIAL In This Issue: Tying Flies For Health WE MUST HOLD THEIR HANDS UP HIGH! (ANGLER Feature) NOW, as never before the golden opportunity for STREAM CLEARANCE presents itself. Twenty-Five Years of Trout Fishing Unlike yesteryears when similar action originated among scat­ (Part 2) tered and rather helpless groups, this year action has begun at By Chas. M. Wetzel the very fountain head of our government, with none other than the Governor and his Attorney General themselves, waging the battle. Fish for the Doc HOUSE BILL NO. 1 and known as THE BRUNNER BILL is By Jack Anderson of extreme importance to every man, woman and child in Penn­ sylvania. This is our GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to rally around one of the finest measures of state legislation designed to rid our Throw Out A Line streams and rivers of the poisons and stench of industrial waste, By Dick Fortney and human filth—and the help of you and all the citizens of Pennsylvania is vitally needed. THE FIGHT IS ON! Stoneflies By W. R. Walton The concerted action and might of every last fisherman is needed right NOW! We have the leadership, the wedge has been driven. The The Brown Bomber offensive beach-head has been established! WE MUST NOT TURN By W. E. Smith BACK! WRITE your STATE SENATOR and the MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE from your district and WRITE THEM TODAY! Your Boy and Mine! Demand the passage of HOUSE BILL No. 1 (The Brunner Bill). By J. Allen Barrett Give them POWER. Your letters, voicing your desires and expectations, the combined number of which will permit them The Black Bass and each of them to clearly state his responsibility to the folks 'back-home.' By J. Fred McKean We MUST support our Governor and the Attorney General A Seabee Fishes for Trout in this valiant fight! in New Zealand WE MUST HOLD THEIR HANDS UP HIGH! By Harry Bartl, CMI/c FISH COMMISSION HONOR ROLL % PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER MARCH TYING FLIES FOR HEALTH Veterans in Army Hospitals Work With Fur, Feathers, and Steel in New Program of Occupational Therapy (The ANGLER Salutes a Fine Program) Jj^LY-TYING has been added to the list of George Quinn. of Washington, D. C, an crafts taught in the occupational therapy authority on fishing and fishing lures, the program of army hospitals—and the fasci­ surgeon general's office of the War Depart­ nating work of making artificial lures to ment organized a class in fly-tying in Walter catch trout, bass, and pickerel is helping to Reed Hospital in Washington. The innova­ restore hundreds of disabled war veterans to tion proved so popular and so beneficial to health and strength. the convalescent service men that today it And the vast quantities of materials and is being set up in some of the largest hos­ tools which are used in the program are pitals the government operates. originating in the State of Pennsylvania. Fly-tying had a two-fold effect. About a year ago, at the suggestion of First, it helped to restore a wounded man's Occupational therapist instructs a disabled soldier. Ernest Hille of Williamsport—father of oc­ cupational therapy for U. S. disabled soldiers. coordination of mind and muscle to a re­ markable degree, and at the same time it •did much to restore movement and strength to disabled hands and fingers. Secondly, it had a psychological effect— for it soothed taut nerves and eased worried minds by inducing the veterans to think about fishing, a sport that is healthful, normal, and full of fun. Among the army hospitals now using the program are Walter Reed in Washington; Ashford General in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.; Percy Jones in Battle Creek, Mich.; Lawson General near Atlanta, Ga.; Borden General at Chickasha, Okla., and Bushnell General at Brigham City, Utah. Occupational therapists, usually young women, are assigned to the various hos­ pitals to instruct the veterans in fly-tying. Flies of simple construction are made first by the soldiers. The streamer types are popu­ lar for beginners. Flies of a bit more com­ plex patterns come later, and the soldier progresses in his work until he is able to turn out perfect lures of the most detailed types. What do the soldiers do with their flies? Most of them hope some day to use them for catching fish in the streams and lakes back home. Others send flies to members 1945 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLEE S TRULY A CONSERVATIONIST Among the many fine reports of clean sportsmanship and sincere gestures of con­ servation coming from astream during the 1944 season is one that by no means should fall by the wayside. An example set by a patriarch of our present generation occurred on the Susque­ hanna River on July 1, 1944 and should serve as a living symbol of clean sportsmanship among fishermen everywhere. John Collier an inveterant fisherman of some seventy- four summers who has lived his lifetime near the Cove in Perry County is the subject of this tribute. In company with John Starr of Harrisburg, the old fisherman was fishing the waters of the Susquehanna opposite the Cove when suddenly a "wham" and the fight was on. After quite a battle old man Collier brought a fine Susquehanna walleyed pike to net. Upon lifting the big prize he noticed that the fish was a female heavy with spawn. Shout­ ing to his companion Mr. Starr, he said: "It's a mom-fish full of eggs." With no further ado, he gently and carefully re­ turned it to the water. Workers assemble material for hospital. Now, to know the circumstances of Mr. Collier. His inability to earn a livelihood, his dire existence and what this big fish of their families, and a few look forward Hooks and tools of steel, for example, would have meant to him, one can only to careers as professional fly-tiers. were not being manufactured. Feathers and realize his sincerity and the weight of his Kits supplied for use in the army hos­ other materials obtained from foreign sources noble act. Yes, the old patriarch would pitals are huge affairs, for they must contain were not being imported because of war rather go hungry than deny that pike an materials to make all types of lures. In a conditions. Silk tying thread was off the opportunity to bring forth her young which single hospital may be a soldier from Penn­ market. Even domestic fur was difficult to meant more to him than perhaps to many sylvania, where trout fishing is the No. 1 obtain. Obtaining of containers also was a others who would have no doubt taken it home. This then, is a fine example of honest sport; another from Florida, where the large- problem. and clean sportsmanship for which the mouth black bass is the favorite game fish; Assured by the War Department that the government would do all in its power to PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER conveys to fisherman still another from the West, where the rain­ John Collier our sincere congratulations. bow trout ranks first on the angler's list. help solve these material problems, the There is a lot of difference between a trout Hilles set out to design a kit that would lure and a bass lure, and the kit is designed meet the needs of the program. They con­ so that the soldier, no matter where the sulted a number of veteran fly-tyers in Cen­ THIS FISH STORY IN AN OLD ONE tral Pennsylvania as to types and quantities hospital is located, is able to make the types In Centre County, the home of ardent of lures which he has used and some day of materials needed, and eventually a kit fishermen and the famous Fishermen's Para­ will use again in his home waters. was worked out that met the specifications of these experts and also of the army. dise, one hears many tall fish stories, but Each kit is designed to provide 2,400 man- Prof.